There are numerous ways to engage with the age-old problem of determinism versus free will.  One of the more playful is to be found in the title and the theme of this exhibition.  Mellows explains that "Time is in charge of our age, but the haircut is variable."  By this he means that time and the changes that it brings are unavoidable but we do have some choice when it comes to the more superficial aspects of life, such as hairstyles.  Hence, the title may be playful but it refers to a serious philosophical concern.

Throughout the exhibition there are several references to ways in which the intersections and exchanges between change and permanence impact on human experience and human society.  There is the use of the very traditional form of painting on a two-dimensional surface, but the medium is mostly acrylic on board rather than oil on canvas.  There is a representational style, but with unusual treatments of shape, space and perspective.  The content is narrative, but in the post-modernist manner there are no 'grand narrative' or 'meta narratives', only numerous personal and immediate ones.  Style, subject matter and genre are all grounded in their historical traditions, but they are viewed as if through time, and in contexts, facilitating the formation of numerous mini-narratives, which invite individual participation.

Several of these smaller, personal narratives are told through what Mellows describes as "recycled" motifs, "like the working boat that has become recreational", or the road that is not just a means of getting to work, as in Grand Tour.  Boat Ribs (interior and exterior) gives the impression of a boat under construction or reconstruction.  There are buildings which have changed in both usage and appearance over time.  In Court House (Albany), Albany House and Out Front, the buildings have an architectural solidity as if standing firm no matter how much human experience has passed, or will yet pass within their walls or outside them.

Then there are spaces and places of human habitation in which no human figures appear.  Closing Time shows an empty hotel dining room.  The room is deserted and the chairs have been put on top of the tables.  There is a strange sense of stillness in a place that would normally be full of activity.  The strangeness comes not only from the subject matter but also from the dark red colour of the walls and the unusual lighting.  Such strangeness invites viewers to invent their own narratives.  What sorts of people come here, and where are they now?  When did I last dine in such a place with a group of friends?

A similar strangeness is invoked in Wood Street Nocturn, which shows a dark, deserted street with well-lit houses.  It is a typical suburban street with occupied houses but an empty roadway.  The emptiness is somewhat disturbing, but because of it the viewer instinctively remembers walking through similar streetscapes and inserts his or her own presence and narrative.  This sort of work refers so strongly to individual stories of remembered spaces that (as Mellows says) one almost hears the barking dog or the squeaking door.

Finally, Mellows' way of presenting time and permanence lies within the application of traditional craft and skill to current concerns and subject matter.  The paintings are 'built' from the ground up with thorough preparation.  Many have a dark ground or dark under-painting, which helps to create a sense and atmosphere of mystery, even unease.  There is a great deal of directness, integrity and honesty of style.  Mellows' narratives "tell it like it is", as he sees it, but at the same time they invite viewers to tell their own narratives.  There is great attention to detail, old ropes have a distinctly furry texture.  But the detail does not fill in all the gaps so that the story is complete and the viewer is excluded.  There is ample room for further narrative participation and exploration.